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One of the hardier members of the genus, this is a good Zone 7 and sneaking into favorable conditions in upper Zone 6. A smaller species to just a couple feet tall, this Harebell has the typical wiry stems and 4-5 narrow lavender-pink bells which dance in the breeze. Letting this self-sow to create a small, wild meadowlet wouldn't be the worst thing you have done in your garden. Sun and even moisture is about all this easy perennial requires. And pretty much deer resistant too!

This is a clone from a wild collection in China which came to us from a friend and we have finally a few to offer. Evergreen leaves in our climate looking a lot like a Solomon Seal with similar white bells in spring. In all respects, this is quite similar to the clone we have from Washfield Nursery but if you are at all like us then you are obsessed with genetic diversity so bring on the clones! It is not a bad idea anyway as it usually helps with pollination to have more than one clone and the lavender fruits offer a subtle attraction in the shade garden later in the season. We clip the old stems off in spring as the new starts to grow and this likes a moist rich soil but will tolerate drier conditions with an occasional deep drink.

2nd generation from Turkey of this usually perennial Foxglove. The flowers, while not huge, more than compensate with a stellar performance - essentially the same credo I have lived to generally good effect. The small hairy-lipped pale yellow flowers densely pack the stems, blurring the line between plant and art.

Our Asian collection of this seductively compelling woodland species. All parts in all stages have a synchronicity of poised loveliness that binds the gaze to that moment slowing time and pace allowing one to absorb beauty be it a nascent unfurling, ornament of purplish bells, refinement of green or understated black pearls.

A collection by Aaron Floden that ticks many of the boxes for the species brachystemon but this has not yet been verified. The anticipation is keen indeed! The green-cream flowers in terminal groupings of 3-5 show well and even as buds entice in the nascent olive green shoots. A Far Reaches Botanical Conservancy Offering

Milk Chocolate Foxglove. This is a fine perennial species from Spain and Portugal that serves double duty as a sculptural piece of garden art. The deep green leaves are a perfect complement to the short 30" spires of small but densely packed, tubular orange-brown flowers that crowd the stems. A group of these is a fairly arresting sight. Low maintenance and deer resistant.

A collection from the mountains of northern Luzon in the Philippines by the folks at Crug Farm. This has the same evergreen nature as the other species with arching Solomon Seal-esque stems to 16", narrow elliptic leaves, white flowers and purplish fruit. This is a good grower for mild gardens, rare of course. We haven't tried it outside yet so let us know how it handles the winters.

Our most vigorous clone of this species which we collected in Sichuan in 2006. This will fill out a pot in no time and will do equally well in the garden. The day we found this is memorable because that evening we stayed in a hotel where we had to sleep with the lights on because every time we turned off the lights, numerous rats would scurry out from their home in our built-in bed and rustle about through our gear. When we turned on the lights, they would all dash back under and into our bed. Fortunately they kept to their level of the bed and we kept to ours but it was not the best of nights. This is a good evergreen perennial with whitish flowers with light purplish interiors and best in shade that doesn't dry out.

From a Crug Farm collection comes this rare woodlander. We are smitten by all the members of this genus as well as it's kith and kin in other genera. This has the pendulous greenish white flowers so familiar yet so intriguing. A shade garden bereft Convallariaceae quietly weeps.

A very low growing species which we received under the name jinfushanensis but have since had identified as undulata. We saw the true jinfushanensis on Mt Jinfo fall of 2010 and it bears no resemblance to this which is better! Slowly spreading evergreen stems and speckled whitish bells.

Poet's or Alexandrian Laurel. Panache oozes from the phylloclades of this haute shade shrub. Before you get nervous, phylloclades are leaf-like organs of modified stem tissue as this nonpareil evergreen is so far beyond the cutting edge that true leaves are just so yesterday. Small green flowers to delight a microscopist, showy red berries in fall. Imagine wearing this crown of laurel in ancient Greece after winning the marathon. I can visualize the wearing but am having a bit of difficulty focusing on the running part. Now if it was a weeding marathon, I would have to say, let's get it on! These aren't big plants that you will get by any means as they are slow to go but we have gotten the painfully slow beginning out of the way so it is all good from here. You can't go unless you start.

Classic spring epehemeral of the eastern woodlands with ferny foliage in early spring and white flowers in March. This will go dormant by late spring and is an excellent little plant to grow on top of later growing shade loving lily species or Arisaemas so that you get double duty out of the same planting spot.

A seldom-encountered Dianthus which hails from the mountains in South Africa where it is commonly known as the Drakensberg Carnation or if you are truly local, Hiokoa-La-Tsela. Apparently the local indigenous use this medicinally as well as in magic - we can't speak to the efficacy of the former but we can say we are transported briefly to another realm when this flowers. Nice pink flowers on slowly spreading mats which is best suited for the rock garden. Good drainage in full sun and hardy to zone 7 and possibly lower.

We are mad about Dactylorhiza which are the coolest hardy terrestrial (grows in the ground) orchids and very easy to grow. These are rare mondo big seed-grown plants from Dactylorhiza fuchsii 'Bressingham Bonus' grown for us by plantswoman extraordinaire Claire Cockroft. Pink.

The best seedling from a cross Robin White made between Daphne acutiloba and Daphne sericea 'Collina' with acutiloba as the seed parent although the pollen parent dominates the characteristics. Robin authored a monograph on Daphne and is a genius breeder and nurseryman with impossibly high standards. Goodson is his mothers maiden name so quality is a given in the low, open domed plant with fragrant, dusky pink flowers.

A collection from China by Olsen & Floden of this well-known ornamental pink or carnation. Very nice to have a documented collection as the cultivated material can get a little diluted via unintentional hybridization in the garden. I know that is some of the most fun we have in the garden. Crazy lacy hot tomato/fuchsia-pink flowers that are scented. I'm wondering just what exactly that color is myself but know that it is very vibrant and will not be ignored.

We've always regarded this herbaceous Hydrangea relative from Asia as one of the preeminent collector's plants for the shade garden. From a woody rootstock each spring arises multiple stems holding textured rounded leaves tinged in soft purple edges with midsummer terminal clusters of lavender flowers possessing the most exquisite detail.